Bead Soup Blog Hop

What a fun way to start off the weekend...
being a part of the 6th Annual Bead Soup Blog Party,  
hosted by Lori Anderson! 
(And sending her a big Thank You for all the work and effort
she put in to make this happen!)


There are almost 400 people from around the world
who are participating this year and you can find all their blogs here:
Bead Soup Blog Party People 2012


My jewelry was inspired by the pieces sent to me
by my Bead Soup partner, Cynthia.  Be sure to check out her amazing blog, 
Antiquity Travelers,
to see her creations using the components I sent her.

Cynthia generously sent me several pieces of sea glass from Cuba and a beautiful large pendant made from paua from New Zealand.  She also included quite a few paua chips and a stunning leaf toggle clasp.

I have to be honest...the biggest challenge was incorporating the toggle clasp into a design.  I didn't want to hide it away at the back of a necklace, but I tend to lose bracelets that have toggle clasps.

So I started out with designing a piece of jewelry using the sea glass because that's what I know the best.

I wanted to make several pieces with the various colors of sea glass, but because of the terrible storm that hit the East Coast several weeks ago (we lost power for 6 days and are still trying to clear away the branches and fallen trees), I just didn't have the time.

But I will be sure to post them as I get them designed and created!

I wasn't sure which piece of sea glass to use for the Blog Hop,

but because I wanted to challenge myself, I chose

a brown piece.  I tend to gravitate towards pastels and shades of blue,

so choosing the brown sea glass was going to force me

to move out of my comfort zone. 

So off I went to a local bead shop to find some seed beads

that would showcase my sea glass pendant.

  I'm not normally drawn to oranges, but when I saw

these iridescent orange drop beads, I knew

I had found the base color for my necklace.  I added

white pearl 8/0 beads and yellow/gold matte iridescent 11/0 beads

to complete the color palette. 

I chose to use the spiral rope stitch to create my necklace,

in part because I love how the colors play off each other

in the design.  The necklace and sea glass pendant work together

to create this dazzling summer look. 

I used non-tarnish silver plated wire to wrap the sea glass

and create the bail.  I prefer to use a simple wrap design

so that the natural beauty of the sea glass shines through.   

Next I turned my attention to this fabulous paua pendant. 

I had a hard time deciding whether to pick up

the shades of aqua, or teal or purple that shone so brilliantly in the sunlight.  And no matter what I tried, a necklace that focused on one color just looked out of place when next to this amazing pendant.

It was desperation, really, that sent me back to the bead shop

in search of something--anything--that would live up

to the beauty of the paua shell. 

After wandering through the entire store,

trying to find just the right shape, color and who knows what else

I was looking for by that point, I found myself

 back at the seed bead wall.  Helping one of the other customers

find the colors she needed for her necklace. 

(Go figure.) 

And that's when I really looked at my pendant. 

For the first time, I wasn't mesmerized by the play of colors

that changed each time I moved it in my hand. 

I noticed the black and grey that created the design

that showcased the amazing display of colors. 

And I remembered that if you want a color to pop,

you need to pair it with a neutral.  After that revelation,

it was easy to find the beads I needed to create

the dramatic necklace that would allow the paua pendant

to stand out but not overwhelm the rest of the design. 

I used matte black drop beads and 11/0 beads in a shade

called "Montana Blue Gold Luster."  The 11/0 beads have enough

of a hint of blue that it keeps the necklace

from being monochromatic but not enough color

that it draws your eye away from the pendant.

I guess confession is good for the soul...

I really didn't want to use the same stitch for both

necklaces.  But every other beading stitch I had learned

just didn't look right.  I even tried making a wire wrapped necklace

but it didn't have the flow that I wanted. 

The spiral rope stitch reminds me so much of the waves

rolling onto the beach that it seemed to be a perfect fit

for this necklace as well.  And since I just learned this stitch,

it seemed fitting to use my new skill for this challenge. 

So now I still had the paua chips and the beautiful toggle clasp

to incorporate into a design...and I'm getting worried

because time is running out.

When in doubt, go back to what you love, right? 

And I realized that I love charm bracelets...

and that a bracelet that had these beautiful paua chips dangling

off a simple chain would be something pretty amazing.   

I guess by now you've realized that I was designing these pieces for myself. 

(Especially once I realized that this toggle doesn't slip off when I wear it!)

And the best part was that I had just enough paua chips to make a pair of dangle earrings to complete my new jewelry set!

I'm so excited to be a part of this year's Bead Soup Blog Hop and can't wait to see what Cynthia has created with the pieces I sent her! 

You can visit her blog here

Antiquity Travelers

Be sure to check out as many blogs as you can...there are so many amazing and talented artists participating!  And don't forget that there are two more reveals this year to see what everyone else has created with their Bead Soup!